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"The Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon is forwarding an Open Table resolution to General Convention that would change the rubrics and practice of The Book of Common Prayer to invite all to Holy Communion, "regardless of age, denomination or baptism."Now "communion without baptism" is practised thereabouts and hereabouts in the Anglican world, but, as far as I am aware, no formal Anglican canon anywhere endorses or legalises this practice. Were the GC to agree to the resolution it would be a change or innovation to millennia old Christian practice, received and continued by the Reformed Church of England. It would also be a change which could reasonably be considered as affecting the definition of Anglicanism because it involves our understanding of sacramental ministry. One related concern would be whether it impinged on our ongoing ecumenical conversations.
Adopted unanimously by delegates to the 2010 Diocesan Convention, the resolution recently was ratified by Diocesan Councl for submission to General Convention. It would delete from the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church Canon 1.17.7, which says "No unbaptized person shall be eligible to receive Holy Communion in this church.""
In short: here is a change which looks like an internal matter for a member church but can reasonably be raised as an external matter for all member churches to consider. In terms of the Covenant and Section 4, it is a matter for consideration by the process set out there.
The next Archbishop of Canterbury
With H/T to Ron Smith, I notice that the Church Times (no less!) has put out an article in the public domain about the bishops it considers to be "a few to watch." A few posts ago I said I was watching out for my own "Dark Horse" candidate to be named on such a list. Well, he is on it. But I shall keep my counsel for a bit longer ...
UPDATE: CEN has its own version of candidates to ponder, in which my "Dark Horse" does not appear, but Ron Smith's preferred candidate does appear!


text: Can you image a townhouse of 560 square meters with a private garden? This luxury living space is exactly such house that only rich people can afford. Its ground floor features a lounge area, dining room, kitchen, reception hall with a fireplace, curved oak stairwell, nearly 7-foot ceilings and door to the garden. The top floor features a large living room with another fireplace, four bedrooms, two bathroom and an exit to a terrace. The whole interior is done in traditional style so owners of such house wouldn't even jealous of kings castles.

subset: commoncrawl


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As denizens of planet earth, we keep looking for intimate companions on our journeys through space and time. Gods, aliens, or chimps dressed in tuxedos—we outfit them with traits and feelings that resemble our own. Every once in a while a book comes along that even assures us there are close emotional and spiritual relationships between plants and humans (for example, 1973's The Secret Life of Plants). Another book of the same era argued that playing soft, gentle music to plants enhanced their growth while hard rock created botanical monsters.
Scientists naturally cringe at such experimentally deficient nonsense. But we share much DNA with plants, and valid comparisons across the taxonomic kingdoms may work to the benefit of each. Daniel Chamovitz, in his new book What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses, seeks to define the barriers and bridges between us. Chamovitz, a biologist and director of the Manna Center for Plant Biosciences at Tel Aviv University in Israel, shows that the reality of what plants "know" and do far surpasses the fervid suppositions of the "secret life" proponents. "Clearly, my use of the word 'know' is unorthodox," he writes. "Yet different parts of a plant are intimately connected, and information regarding light, chemicals in the air, and temperature is constantly exchanged between roots and leaves, flowers and stems, to yield a plant that is optimized for its environment."
Judiciously manipulating similes with dashes of anthropomorphism, Chamovitz introduces each of the vital human senses (all except taste) and explains its meaning for humans as contrasted with its function in plants. There are no noses or eyes as such in the plant world, but there are organs and responses that mimic our physiology. The author recounts how willows, attacked by caterpillars, send airborne pheromones to neighboring willows. Warned by these gaseous signals (or "smells") of a nearby infestation, the neighbors begin manufacturing increased levels of toxic chemicals to render their leaves unpalatable to the caterpillars.
The author recalls that his grandmother had little plant biology but lots of practical know-how. She knew she could soften an avocado by putting it in a brown paper bag with a ripe banana. Magic? Well, she had no idea why it worked but simply knew from experience handed down from the past that it did. Elsewhere, that sort of reliance on hand-me-down knowledge caused consternation.
"In the early twentieth century, farmers in Florida would ripen citrus in sheds heated by kerosene," Chamovitz writes. "These farmers were sure that the heat was what induced the ripening. . . . You can imagine their dismay, then, when they plugged in some electric heaters near the citrus and found that the fruit didn't cooperate at all."
Scientists learned that kerosene smoke contains a molecule called ethylene. Treating any fruit with pure ethylene gas ripens it. All fruits contain ethylene, which is the universal plant hormone that induces fruit to ripen. "When we put a ripe banana in a bag with a hard pear," Chamovitz writes, "the banana gives off ethylene, which is 'smelled' by the pear, and the pear quickly ripens. The two fruits are communicating their physical states to each other."
It may come as a surprise to many readers that a great deal of what we know about plants today can be traced back nearly a century and a half to Charles Darwin. Experiments on plant senses that he carried out in his home gardens and greenhouses still hold up, or provide a solid launching point from which to solve old botanical questions. Darwin was among the first to explore in depth what plants "feel" in his 1875 treatise, Insectivorous Plants. He became a world authority on the subject through studies on the Venus flytrap, a carnivorous plant that responds to an insect of the right size alighting on it. The plant snaps shut its leaves, then employs chemicals to "digest" the tiny animal and make use of its protein.
Plants feel the slightest touch but not pain. "A plant is free from these subjective constraints because it lacks a brain," Chamovitz writes. "But plants feel mechanical stimulation, and they can respond to different types of stimulation in unique ways."
Darwin also attacked the conundrum of plants and music. A modestly talented bassoonist, he serenaded a mimosa plant at length. But its leaves failed to close, prompting him to give up his "fool's experiment." Modern scientists have fared no better in their efforts to confirm the belief of some New Age spiritualists that plants exposed to soft classical music, even Muzak, thrive, while plants and humans bombarded by Led Zeppelin become stunted or worse.
"As someone who grew up studying with Zeppelin and Hendrix blaring from my stereo system at all times," Chamo-vitz wondered whether he, too, had been damaged. But not to worry. Research at the New York Botanical Garden and elsewhere has so far concluded that plants are deaf. Chamovitz survived to produce a handy guide to our own senses as well as those of plants. If his book sometimes wallows deep in chemistry and genetics, New Age readers can play some Mozart on the stereo or an iPod to help waft them through to the end.
This story originally ran in the July-August 2012 issue as "Little Shop of Wonders."


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Earl Albert Moore, who in April 2011 on the 12th anniversary of the Columbine school shootings placed a pipe bomb in a nearby Colorado shopping mall, has been sentenced to life in prison.
"Moore also set a fire in the hallway, but the bomb did not explode," The Denver Post adds. "No one was injured, and Moore said during sentencing today that he wasn't trying to do so."
"It was never my intention to hurt anybody," Moore, 66, said in court Thursday, according to the Post. "I apologize for my actions."
U.S. District Court Judge John Kane said Moore had sown "seeds of terror" and that though no one was killed, "that is not to your credit."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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NORTHFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Former Solo Cup Co. President and Chief Executive Robert Hulseman has died. He was 84.
Donnellan Family Funeral Services says Hulseman died Dec. 21 at his home in Northfield, Illinois. No cause of death has been released.
An obituary on the funeral home's website credits Hulseman with developing the Red Solo Cup and the Traveler coffee cup lid.
Hulseman spent nearly 60 years with the foodservice packaging company started in 1936 by his father, Leo.
The company was based in Lake Forest, Illinois, and made disposable food and drink containers from paper, plastic and recycled materials.
The red plastic Solo Cup was introduced in the 1970s and has become a fixture at family gatherings and picnics.
Dart Container Corp. of Mason, Michigan, bought Solo Cup in 2012.


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New Alzheimer's test may identify those at risk
A pair of new assays that can detect key Alzheimer's molecules in human brain tissues and in lab mice may offer a quick way to identify new effective drug treatments.
The assays may also prove useful in identifying people at increased risk for the disease, which would help determine who should get a preventive drug should one be discovered, says Mary Jo LaDu, associate professor of anatomy and cell biology at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, who is principal investigator of the study.
The study is "paper of the week" in the Feb. 22 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
A team led by LaDu developed a pair of assays able to detect "mechanistic biomarkers" of Alzheimer's — a term they coined, to indicate that the tell-tale biomolecules are directly involved in the disease process.
It may also be possible to use the mechanistic biomarkers to track progression of the disease, LaDu says, which is key to studying a disease like Alzheimer's that takes years or decades to produce symptoms. With no easy way to determine whether progression has been slowed or stopped, researchers have so far failed to find an effective therapy — and failures in clinical trials are expensive.
Two months ago, LaDu's group reported the development of a new mouse model of Alzheimer's. The mice carry a human gene that — in its naturally occurring variations — is a major determinant of risk. The new assays, LaDu says, can be used in that animal model to rapidly and cheaply screen large numbers of chemicals for therapeutic effect before any are tested in patients.
One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's is the appearance in brain tissue of dense plaques formed by clumps of a protein called amyloid beta. But recent evidence, LaDu says, indicates that smaller, soluble "oligomers" of amyloid beta, rather than the plaques, are responsible for nerve cell death in the disease.
A protein in cells called apoE was long suspected to be involved. One naturally-occurring variant of apoE, called apoE4, is the most important known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. People carrying the E4 gene face a 15-times higher risk for Alzheimer's than the population at large.
Leon Tai, UIC research assistant professor in anatomy and cell biology and first author of the new study, says the team wondered: might healthy apoE be responsible for clearing out toxic amyloid beta oligomers from the nerve cell?
The team developed a pair of assays, each able to distinguish oligomers from plaques. One assay measures the total amount of oligomers — whether bound to apoE or free in solution. The other measures only oligomers bound to apoE.
Using their mice carrying a human apoE gene, the researchers made an important discovery: In mice carrying a robust version of apoE, most oligomers were bound to apoE. But in mice with the E4 gene, most oligomers remained on the loose — apparently the apoE4 protein doesn't hold on to them very well.
"This is exactly what we expect to see if our hypothesis is correct," said LaDu. "We think that one of the things that apoE is doing is clearing the soluble neurotoxic oligomers. So this was an exciting result."
The researchers then turned to brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid from humans, comparing Alzheimer's brains to normal controls. Alzheimer's brains had more free oligomers, while the normal brains had more oligomers bound to apoE — consistent with the idea that the oligomers may be toxic to nerve cells if apoE does not clear the oligomers away.
The team also compared tissue from individuals carrying genes for the different versions of apoE. Again, they found that in the brains of people who had the high-risk E4 gene, there were more oligomers free in solution than in those who had any of the lower-risk versions of apoE.
All results were consistent with their hypothesis that apoE is involved in clearing neurotoxic oligomers of amyloid beta from the brain.
"We are now testing the (assay's) predictive value for the progression of Alzheimer's — distinguishing mild cognitive impairment from early and late stage disease," LaDu said. The ultimate goal, she said, is to identify those at risk before the disease process has begun to cause cognitive decline.
"We will also be looking at using our mouse model for pre-clinical drug development," LaDu said, using the assays to rapidly screen for compounds that increase the clearing of amyloid beta oligomers from the mice.
Co-authors are Lisa Jungbauer, Stephen Roeske, Katherine Youmans, and Chungjiang Yu of UIC; Tina Bilousova and Karen Hoppens Gylys of the UCLA School of Nursing; Mary S. Easton of Alzheimer's Research, Los Angeles; Wayne Poon and Lindsey Cornwall of the University of California, Irvine; Carol Miller of the University of Southern California; Harry Vinters of the UCLA School of Medicine; Linda Van Eldik, David Fardo and Steve Estus of the University of Kentucky; and Guojun Bu of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.
The research was supported by National Institutes of Health grants P01AG030128, AG27465, and AG18879; and grants from the Alzheimer's Association, the UIC Center for Clinical and Translational Science, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, and the Daljit S. and Elaine Sardaria Chair in Diagnostic Medicine.


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HONG KONG (AP) — A judge put off sentencing Thursday for young Hong Kong democracy leader Joshua Wong in a contempt case stemming from 2014 protests in the semiautonomous Chinese city.
The 21-year-old Wong, who was out on bail while he appeals a prison sentence in a separate case, was among 16 activists set to learn their punishments following their convictions for criminal contempt of court.
But a High Court judge adjourned the case to an unspecified date to await further submissions from defense lawyers.
Hong Kong law sets no maximum penalty for contempt, with sentences usually ranging by case law and legal precedents.
Wong and some others had pleaded guilty months earlier for failing to comply with a court order to clear out of a protest camp on a main road during the 79-day "Umbrella Movement" protests against Beijing's restrictions on elections for Hong Kong's top leader.
Wong rose to global fame, including a starring role in a Netflix documentary, for leading anti-China protests in the city while still a teen.
In a separate case, he and two other activists were given prison sentences in August ranging from six to eight months for their roles in an unlawful assembly that sparked the 2014 protests. They originally got community service or suspended sentences but those were upgraded after the justice secretary asked for a sentencing review, a move that raised fears the city's independent judiciary was being undermined.
Wong was bailed when he received permission to appeal, which will be heard in January.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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From the archive: This story originally published October 21, 2013.
Jason King faced the months leading up to the capital murder trial of a fellow airman with a single-minded purpose.
The man who stabbed to death Senior Airman Andy Schliepsiek and his wife, Jamie, at their home on Robins Air Force Base, Ga., early July 5, 2004, had nearly taken King's life, too. King had to make sure the killer never hurt anyone else.
King went over his testimony so much he nearly grew numb to the harrowing details: Andy scuffling with his attacker. Jamie screaming. The searing pain of the combat knife slicing into his back again and again.
When the Air Force prosecutors set up camp in a house on base, King regularly brought them dinner. He had never seen anyone work so hard. They were dogged and meticulous as they built a death penalty case against one of their own.
But when the monthlong court-martial was over in October 2005 — when a panel of 10 officers unanimously sentenced Senior Airman Andrew Witt to die for his crimes — it was not the closure he had hoped for. His nightmare had only just begun.
Nine years later, he continues to battle post-traumatic stress disorder and the anxiety and depression that comes with it. He has fought alcoholism and drug addiction. Along the way, his marriage and his Air Force career ended.
Now, for the first time in almost a decade, King said he has gotten his demons under control. He is ready to talk about what he went through in the hope that it will help someone else.
A brutal crime
The Kings and the Schliepsieks were nearly inseparable in the summer of 2004.
King, wife Paige, and their 3-year-old daughter, Ramsey, lived less than a mile from Andy and Jamie on base. King and Andy, both senior airmen, also worked in neighboring units. But it wasn't until they got together for a round of golf at the urging of colleagues that they struck up a friendship.
King felt like he'd known Andy all his life. He remembers how Paige smiled and winked at him after she met Jamie. Until then, Paige had struggled to make new friends at Robins. While King and Andy golfed, their wives shopped together and hung out at the nearby pool.
Independence Day, which fell on a Sunday that year, was no different. The Schliepsieks headed to the Kings' house early that afternoon, where they drank beer and grilled ribs while Ramsey scribbled on the sidewalk with chalk. They talked about going to see fireworks, then decided to stay home. They talked about the Schliepsieks' upcoming move to Chicago. Andy was leaving the Air Force in two weeks. The Kings had already made plans to visit them there.
Around midnight, Paige went to bed. King and the Schliepsieks stayed up talking and drinking. Around 1 a.m., Jamie disclosed that a fellow airman had tried to kiss her July 3. His name was Andrew Witt.
King had met Witt only once a day before, welcoming Witt to his home because, he'd told Andy, any friend of yours is a friend of mine.
Andy was livid at Jaime's news. He phoned Witt to confront him.
"I remember a lot of phone calls back and forth," King said. By 3 a.m, though, they'd dropped the subject.
Witt hadn't. He would later tell investigators he'd changed into his Air Force fatigues, put a combat knife in his trunk and driven on base. He'd parked down the street from the Kings so they wouldn't see his car. Then he'd hidden behind some trees and watched them.
Around 3:30 a.m., King, Jamie and Andy headed over to the Schliepsieks' house. They'd run out of beer or cigarettes — King can't remember which. Andy went to the kitchen. Jamie went to a back bedroom to get a sweater. She was on the phone with one of King's friends, so he followed her.
They heard Andy in the kitchen shouting at someone to get out. Witt appeared in the bedroom doorway dressed in his fatigues. King figured he'd come to fight.
"Good," Witt said. "You're here, too."
Then Witt headed toward the living room. King was close behind. What happened next unfolded faster than he could comprehend: Witt and Andy tussling. A sharp pain in his stomach. Backing into the kitchen. Jamie screaming about blood. Realizing Witt had stabbed him. Heading for the door. Struggling with the lock while Witt stabbed him in the back again and again. Running. Tripping over a tree stump. Summoning the neighbors to call 911. Collapsing in their driveway.
The sirens.
Sometimes, King still dreams about what happened inside the Schliepsieks' house after he left. It's like he is a fly on the wall.
Either Andy or Jamie managed to dial 911. The recording is brief. Andy pleads for his life. Jamie screams. The line goes dead.
Witt stabbed Andy three times, the second blow severing his spinal cord and paralyzing him instantly. The final blow pierced his heart. As he bled to death, unable to move, Witt kicked in the door of the bedroom where Jamie had retreated. He broke her arm and stabbed her five times — four in the back. Then he removed her skirt.
King said one of the prosecutors believed Witt fled at the sound of the sirens. That if King hadn't gone for help Jamie might have been raped.
It is the only solace he takes from that night. He still asks himself why he ran.
"I don't know why," King said. "It's something I have to live with. It's been the toughest thing to overcome."
Fighting for his life
The seasoned surgeon who operated on King called him his first miracle. He'd lost 41/2 liters of blood. Any one of the three stab wounds should have killed him. One partially severed an artery. One narrowly missed his heart. His lung collapsed.
Each day in the hospital, Paige walked in the room and opened the blinds. Each day, he asked about Andy and Jamie. The answer was always the same: "They can't be here right now."
Just three weeks earlier, he'd lost another best friend and his wife in a car crash. Through the heavy haze of medication, King began to understand. On the third or fourth day, he said to wife: "They're dead, aren't they?"
She stood at the blinds unmoving. Slowly, she turned to him. "Yes," she said. "They are."
An Air Force chaplain came by soon after. So did his commander and first sergeant. His room was constantly filled with airmen, both friends and acquaintances.
While he recovered, his group commander stopped by to tell him he'd made staff sergeant. "The support I got from the Air Force during that time was incredible," he said.
King begged to go to the Schliepsieks' memorial service. But he was in no condition. When he was finally allowed to leave the intensive care unit for a regular hospital room, he was determined to walk. Connected to IVs and trailed by a nurse with a wheelchair, he did it.
"I was proud of that," King said. He spent more than two weeks in the hospital. Two weeks later, his lung collapsed again and he contracted a staph infection. It was a second brush with death.
King went from fighting for his life to fighting for a guilty verdict.
"My relationship with the prosecutors in some remarkable way helped me to get through a lot of it," he said. Then-Majs. Vance Spath and Rock Rockenbach and Capt. Scott Williams made him feel like part of the team.
"That was my goal the whole year leading up to the trial — to be the best witness I could possibly be," he said. "After the trial, my mission was complete."
Then it set in. "Things got out of control."
A breakdown — and a breakthrough
After the murders, King started sleeping on the couch. He felt like he needed to be close enough to a door to hear what was going on outside. The doors had to be unlocked for a quick escape.
Loud noises startled him — a dog barking, a car door shutting. He became hypervigilant. At cinemas, he had to sit in the back row. In restaurants, he asked for a booth and sat with his back against the wall. Crowds agitated him.
Before, King said, "I was a people person. I got along with everyone. Now I don't care whether I'm around anybody at all. It's not appealing to me to be out in public. All I want to do is go home."
He began drinking excessively and became addicted to painkillers. Sometimes, he'd vow to get sober. But it wouldn't last. When people asked how he was doing, he'd tell them he was fine. The strain on his marriage became too much. In 2009, King and his wife divorced. That same year, while serving in Korea, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"PTSD is horrible. No one understands it. You don't understand PTSD unless you have it," he said. "You can decide to to be miserable. Or you can decide to get help."
At Hurlburt Field, Fla., in 2010, King found himself living alone for the first time in his life. His health also wasn't what it once was. Each year, he found it harder to pass the physical training test. He was diagnosed with a breathing condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder — likely due to the scarring on his lungs.
Despite his addictions and health problems, King remained a good troop and the Air Force rewarded him for it. Less than a year after the murders, he went to Airman Leadership School and won the John Levitow Award, presented to the top student of an enlisted professional military education course. His commander and his first sergeant were there to cheer him on.
In 2011, he was medically discharged from the Air Force. He went home, to Johnson City, Tenn., where he got a job at the post office. It felt like a second chance. But it didn't last.
"I couldn't physically lift things and I couldn't mentally do it. It was just too much too soon, I guess," he said.
He fought for — and won — Social Security disability.
"I don't like it. I don't like being one of those guys living off the system. I don't want to be inside jobless being a piece of trash," King said.
He doesn't see an alternative, at least right now. "I have to live," he said.
Being back home has been good for him. "I love being here. I love this part of the country. I think it's probably one of the most perfect places I could come back to. There's not a lot of high-intensity stuff going on in the mountains of Johnson City. It's laid back. I'm pretty lucky in that regard."
He spends a lot of time on the back porch, smoking cigarettes and doing crossword puzzles. "It's relaxing. I can see everything around me. Just trees and a big field."
King hasn't had a drink since May.
"It's been a struggle. I'm still struggling with the addiction aspect," he said. "I don't want to make it sound like I'm blaming everything on what happened that night, although it could probably easily be said that was the reason. But I had a responsibility as well. I take responsibility for my actions and everything that's happened.
"Right now my state of mind is better than it's ever been, better than it has been since the stabbing."
It's been a long time coming.
King first admitted he needed help in 2010. "I just kind of had a break. Not a mental break. I just kind of realized I can't do this on my own anymore."
It wasn't enough.
"For me personally, you have to get to the point where you truly don't want to drink anymore or do drugs. Even being in rehab, I knew in the back of my mind I was going to use again. You have to mentally just be exhausted. I was mentally exhausted. It truly became something I didn't want to do anymore," King said. "From there, you've got to get through withdrawing and detoxing. After that, it becomes a choice. Sometimes it's a tough choice. Sometimes during the day you want to use. Generally, if you sit down and wait for 15 or 30 minutes, that hardcore craving passes and then you can make a better decision."
Friends and family stuck by him, offering encouragement when he needed it most. Recently, King went to church for the first time in years.
"I fell far away from God after what happened to Andy and Jamie. People would say, 'God must have been with you that night.' I thought, 'Why wasn't he with them? They were better people than me.' I became angry with God. Now I have faith. And having faith is such a strong thing."
King wants to go back to college. He'd started working on a master's degree in management while serving in Korea. He knows he has to put a lot more sobriety time behind him. He knows it will probably require another degree. King wants to help people who've faced similar struggles. He wants to become a drug and alcohol counselor.
"The message I want to get out there is that in your darkest hour, when horrible things happen to you, when you're facing life or death, there is always hope," King said. "If it helps one person — then to me, it was worth it. Maybe this is the reason why I survived."


text: An Alexandrian Jew, an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures (Acts 18:24–19:1). He received instruction in the gospel at Ephesus from Aquila and Priscilla and then went to Corinth; his name was afterwards connected with one of the disputes that arose there (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:4–6, 22; 16:12). We afterwards hear of him in Crete (Titus 3:13).


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Another non-performer at the boxoffice, All Night Long is a very special film, a wistful and whimsical little fable about infidelity, divorce and following one's heart's desires. Gene Hackman is a frustrated executive who more or less throws his career away by tossing a chair through an office window, but every move he makes away from his ordered life opens him up to new possibilities. The make-or-break ingredient in this souffle is Barbra Streisand, who for once plays a character unlike herself instead of doing her kitschy cross-eyed cutsie routine; you'll either be charmed as Savant was or be reaching for the remote switch. But give it a chance, it's a really cute, sweet movie.
In the 1965 film A Fine Madness office worker Sean Connery cracks up, cuts his desk in half with a chainsaw, and goes out into the world to express his emotions and live life to the fullest. Naturally, the authorities stick him in an asylum and lobotomize him. Gene Hackman has a much nicer time of it in All Night Long, an amusing romantic comedy about a man who loses the normal things that define his life, his job and his wife. But he finds himself open to new possibilities and forges a new path. In a way it's an everyday version of Nights of Cabiria or The Incredible Shrinking Man, other fables about people who lose everything yet rejoice to discover their essence still remains.
George Dupler has a more conventional experience; a rash action at work starts a domino effect in which he indeed stops caring about keeping up appearances with his wife or his work associates. His new job is the graveyard shift that goes "all night long" in a mausoleum-like drugstore with kooky employees and weird nighttime visitors - eccentric creeps and shoplifters. George doesn't so much adjust as spontaneously combust in his new position; it's all he can do to keep his trigger-happy security guard from shooting people. Soon he's self-medicating from the pharmacy while making faces at the protesting pharmacist. He needs the pills because he's living a double life, and sleeping neither at home during the day nor at Cheryl's place during his break at night.
George cheerfully rubs people the wrong way. Already feeling inadequate, his reaction to demanding relatives is to ignore them with a smile. Cheryl's fireman husband Bobby is a humorless jerk who has nothing but contempt for her and the inane Country Western songs she composes on her organ; he'd engages his free time in role-playing war games with the other firemen. George can't help but parade his adultery until his wife and Cheryl's husband finally realize what's going on. His only problem after that is to convince the insecure Cheryl to throw in her lot with him.
Director Tramont seems to be going after a classic French feel - the film plays as if its script could have been written for Michel Simon to be directed by Jean Renoir - Boudou Saved from Corporate Life, or something like that. Screenwriter W.D. Richter shows a good knack for dialogue and offbeat social comment - as when the view from George's flophouse hotel room immediately shows him a car wreck - and an even better flair for character interaction. Diane Ladd plays her confused housewife well, finally becoming irrelevant when George has the good luck to catch her in a compromising situation with her divorce lawyer. The wild-eyed (and very young) Dennis Quaid makes for odd romantic competition. Instead of fussing about the situation as in The Graduate, All Night Long takes the absurd situation of father and son lusting after the same married woman as just another unexplainable twist of fate.
Barbra Streisand reportedly came on the picture over a weekend when actress Lisa Eichorn quit or otherwise left the show. La Babs' multi-million dollar fee is said to have doubled the picture's budget. She's really acting here and not mugging, something I can appreciate after agonizing my way through The Owl and the Pussycat (here come the letters). Her pitiful little housewife apparently got married as a result of being rescued from a fire - she's something he brought home from work. Streisand not only doesn't provide a theme song, the only song is an awful tune that she warbles in character. I haven't a clue how she feels about the movie but I think she should be proud of it.
No matter how weird it all gets, Tramont tracks his picture with a number of wistful romantic cues that assure us that everything's going to turn out okay. Getting major play is La Violetera, a beautiful Latin standard that many people incorrectly assume was written by Charlie Chaplin. The credit on the film only says that it's the theme song from City Lights, which leads me to suspect that Chaplin made some kind of deal with the composer, José Padilla, to not have to use his name. No matter how talented Chaplin was, I still withhold full admiration for him because of this kind of egotistical behavior.
All Night Long is perhaps a good rental bet for those not convinced they'll like a film with Barbra Streisand. But it's a Savant romantic favorite.
French actress Annie Giradot has a bit part as a French teacher, to no great effect. Perhaps Diane Ladd's character had more to do in the original script.
Universal shows pity on us lowly DVD fans by presenting All Night Long in an attractive enhanced transfer every bit as good as those from other studios - no cheapie cable-TV transfer this time. The images and romantic soundtrack look an sound great on a big monitor. No extras, however. The package text misspells Hackman's character's name as Duplier, even though its correct pronunciation is a running joke throughout the picture.
On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor, All Night Long rates: Movie: Excellent Video: Excellent Sound: Excellent Supplements: none Packaging: Keep case Reviewed: February 4, 2005
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"Jet" magazine launched in 1951 and has since become one of the most enduring magazines reflecting the Black experience. Today, it experiences a rebirth with a redesign. Coming off a revamp in 2010, Jet has again tweaked its look and feel to be even more attractive to today's reader. Given the popularity of the Internet, where people have increasingly turned for news and information, magazines have to keep finding new and creative ways to attract and keep readers.
"We've got a new logo, we've got brighter colors, we've got more white space, overall it's a more modern book," Mitzi Miller, Jet Magazine's editor-in-chief told the Tom Joyner Morning Show. "The size is still the same and the "Beauty of the Week" is still there," Miller says. "Those were the top 2 questions. The text is a little bit bigger, so it's easier to read and there are more infographics, the colorful charts that tell the story, so that it can be a faster read."
Upgrade Me: Jet Magazine Gets A New Look, Logo was originally published on blackamericaweb.com


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So if an explanation isn't proven, how do you decide how likely it is to be correct?
There are two big arguments that believers in the supernatural make again and again. One is the "Explain that!" argument -- the world is full of things for which there is currently no explanation, and therefore it's reasonable to believe that those things might have supernatural causes. The other is the "You can't prove anything!" argument -- naturalists can't definitively disprove the supernatural, and therefore it's just as reasonable to believe in it as it to disbelieve.
In the most literal sense, these arguments would seem to be unanswerable. Yes, it's certainly true that the existence of supernatural phenomena has not been disproven – it's notoriously difficult, even impossible, to prove conclusively that something doesn't exist. And yes, of course the world is full of phenomenon for which we currently don't have naturalistic explanations.
So in the narrowest sense, these arguments are true.
But they're terrible arguments.
I want to talk about why.
Let's look at the history of the world. Specifically, let's look at the history of knowledge in the world.
When you look at the history of the world, you see thousands -- tens of thousands, arguably hundreds of thousands or more -- of phenomena for which a supernatural explanation has been replaced by a natural one. Why the sun rises and sets; what thunder and lightning are; how and why illness happens and spreads; why people look like their parents; how people got to be here in the first place… all these things, and thousands more, were once explained by gods or spirits or mystical energies. And now all of them have natural, physical explanations.
Natural explanations, I should point out, with mountains of solid, carefully collected, replicable evidence to support them.
Now, how many times in the history of the world has a natural explanation of a phenomenon been supplanted by a supernatural one?
As far as I am aware, exactly zero.
Of course, people are coming up with new supernatural explanations of naturally-explained phenomena all the time. Intelligent design is the most obvious example. You can pick up any New Age magazine to find more.
But explanations with evidence? Replicable evidence? Carefully gathered, patiently tested, rigorously reviewed evidence? Internally consistent evidence? Large amounts of it, from many different sources?
Again, as far as I'm aware -- none.
Which brings me to my point: the question of likelihood.
Given this pattern -- thousands upon thousands upon thousands of natural explanations accurately supplanting supernatural ones, zero supernatural explanations accurately supplanting natural ones -- doesn't it seem that any given unexplained phenomenon is far more likely to have a natural explanation than a supernatural one?
Far, far more likely?
Like, several orders of magnitude more likely?
So when you're looking at a phenomenon -- consciousness, for instance, my current favorite example -- that doesn't currently have a good naturalistic explanation, you can of course argue "Explain that!" or "That doesn't prove anything." You can argue that scientists don't really know what consciousness is, and therefore it could be some sort of metaphysical energy, and science can't conclusively prove that it isn't.
But I think it makes a lot more sense to look at the pattern -- the overwhelming pattern of natural explanations replacing supernatural ones by the thousands and more -- and consider which kind of explanation is really more likely.


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BillboardIn its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
Common terms and phrases
8-track 8-track cartridges agency ALBERT KING album Angeles Astor Plaza audience audio band Billboard Blues broadcasters Buddah Canada Capitol car stereo Car Tapes cartridge Charlie Rich charts classical club Columbia compact cassette concert consumer Continued country music Crazy David Dave dealer director distributed Douthat duplicating Elliott Murphy Etta James firm Fuji Gortikov guitar Hall Hershfield Hitachi increased Jazz Festival July June label LP's Mahogany Rush manager manufacturers ment million Modern Jazz Quartet Motown Muntz NARM Nashville Nordin percent performance Philadelphia International KZ play Polydor presenting jazz promotion radio record and tape record companies release reps retail rock says Seger single sold songs station studio sumer talent tion tour United Artists vice president VIDCOM Video Center video disk videocassette Warner Bros week York


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4K, MOIP and HDR on the agenda for Panasonic at IBC
Panasonic expanded its 4K camera range with two cost effective, high-power zoom, integrated lens camcorders. The premium AG-UX180 model is equipped with a 1-type MOS sensor, optical 20x zoom, UHD 60p recording capability and the industry's widest angle of 24mm. The standard AG-UX90 features a 1-type MOS sensor, optical 15x zoom, UHD 30p recording and wide angle of 24.5mm. The two cameras are set for release in November (AG-UX90) and December 2016 (AG-UX180) and working models are on display at the Panasonic stand for the first time.
The VariCam Pure system is the latest addition to the company's family of professional cinematography products and couples the existing VariCam 35 camera head with a new Codex V-RAW 2.0 recorder, enabling 4K uncompressed RAW acquisition, ideal for episodic television and features.
As well as the new hardware, Panasonic also announced a new firmware update for the VariCam LT. This adds the ability for RAW signal output via two 3G-SDI terminals to an external RAW recorder, at 4K or UHD 60p. RAW recording will be compatible with the Odyssey 7Q and 7Q+ from Convergent Design Inc. and the Atomos Inc. Shogun Inferno. The recorded CinemaDNG file is compatible with DaVinci Resolve 12.5.1, Drastic Media Reactor 5.04, and upcoming versions of major NLEs and grading systems.
Andre Meterian, Director Professional Video Systems Business Unit EMEA at Panasonic said, "VariCam has established a position as the 4K production camera of choice for those seeking the best image quality. This firmware version for uncompressed RAW recording expands its horizons."
A prototype 4K 360 degree real-time camera, designed for virtual reality viewing, is also showcased at IBC 2016. Featuring four cameras, synchronised to create a single 4K equi-rectangular image, the camera system has a camera head and a base unit with connecting cables. This enables real-time stitching and distribution of 360 degree images for a number of applications, such as stadiums or concerts, giving viewers the sense of being in the midst of the action.
Panasonic also released launch details of the multi-purpose AK-UB300 camera, a 4K box camera equipped with a B4 mount aimed at sports, remote studios, live concerts and aerial shooting. It provides 4K output (3G x 4) and HD-SDI output simultaneously and is available from November 2016.
The final 4K innovation at the show sees a collaboration with Intel on a new expressP2 card reader. With Thunderbolt™ 3 offering 40Gbps data transfer, the AU-XPD3 can achieve amazing data transfer speeds providing a superfast workflow. It is planned for release around the first quarter of 2017. IBC 2016 also sees a demonstration of Panasonic's Media over IP solution, using a newly-developed MoIP gateway for 4K and HD. It has the capability to deliver high definition Media over IP networks in nearly real time, sufficient for seamless video switching.
Panasonic also introduced a new Full HD integrated outdoor camera. Set for release in summer 2017, the camera features a water, dust and salt-air resistant shell and a wiper to ensure continued quality recording whatever the conditions. It also features a newly developed image stabiliser to capture clear video using vibration compensation.
Meanwhile Avid® has announced complete integration with Panasonic's AVC Ultra-LongG video format across its production workflow software. AVC Ultra-LongG is popular among news organisations and broadcasters around the world. Avid's unique splicing capability of AVC Ultra-LongG streams is an industry first and allows for changes to be made to existing sequences without requiring a full re-encode upon playout. The complete end-to-end production workflow with Avid allows broadcasters to invest in the new camera platform without risking interruption of well-established operational practices.
"In addition to some really exciting product developments, Panasonic is making a commitment to lead the movement towards HDR within the video industry by supplying HDR-ready technology that supports this shift," added Andre Meterian. "Both the Varicam 35 and Varicam LT for example have 14+ stops of latitude, which exceeds the dynamic range specifications required for HDR content delivery. For live broadcasts in HDR, we will ensure a smooth migration to HDR from the current SDR systems and make it possible for both SDR and HDR content to go out on air simultaneously.
"Panasonic is also working towards making Media over IP a reality across the broadcast industry by actively taking part in a number of activities to improve the interoperability of the technology. At IBC2016, Panasonic is joining the Joint Interop Demonstration in the Feature Zone in Hall8, where we would be demonstrating our SMPTE ST2110 (TR-03) and AMWA IS-04 (nmos) implementation. Panasonic will strive to help develop a common set of standards for effective MoIP broadcasting."
Finally, Panasonic announced it will release a new 1.5-inch HD viewfinder this winter. The AJ-CVF50G is a newly developed display capable of continuous images without causing burn-in. It enables users to see the entire picture within the viewfinder at all times, even at a distance from the viewfinder. The AJ-CVF50G also has quick response making it suitable for recording sport events and features one-touch switching of monochrome and colour mode.


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Skulls and Bones png files
Skulls and Bones 10 Skulls and Bones PNG files, 300 DPI on a transparent background. |
Price € 4.00 euro |
Note: Downloads will be send when payment is verified which can take from 1-24h. Once your payment is processed, we will send you a link for digital download. If you don't got the download links wich will be send in a email after 24 ours please contact us to resolve the issue. Please consider 24h because of the time differents.
I will send you the link to download the files to the email adress you paid with. (please be sure it's the right adress).
All of the files are downloadable digital files.


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Instructor Preparation
Instructors routinely tailor classes to their own students. For example, if students have weaker math preparation than is needed to learn course material, we do some math review to reinforce skills. Planning out the use of experiments as part of a course involves the same sort of tailoring. Some suggestions:
- Decide how to best incorporate experiments into course content. Some suggestions of when to include an experiment include:
- To illustrate material where students have prior misconceptions about the material or where students normally have difficulty mastering the concepts,
- When the experiment can become a point of reference for a number of concepts throughout the semester. If the experiment helps make an initial abstract topic more concrete for the students, it gives them a better chance of mastering extensions of that topic,
- If students perceive a topic as boring, an experiment might help students see what is relevant and interesting about that topic,
- When you hit a low point in the semester and the class needs to be re-energized, like after midterms or spring break.
- Designate the appropriate amount of time for the experiment - some experiments might be adapted to take more than one class period while others may be adapted to take only a few minutes.
- A short experiment at the beginning of class can help motivate a more formal presentation that follows. On the other hand, if students are likely to get very boisterous during the experiment, they might find it hard to concentrate and take notes immediately after the experiment concludes.
- An experiment that is detailed and where waiting is involved or one that has a number of variations might take an entire class period. On the other hand, if the variations relate to material that would normally be spread out over several weeks, it might be best to divide the experiment up to match the material. That is, unless the experiment takes so long to set up that this is impractical.
- Experiments don't have to be "long" to be "useful" to students.
- Match the experiment to the class level, course atmosphere and the personalities and learning styles of your students.
- To liven up a "sleepy" class, add some drama to the experiment where you can. Hand out candy prizes, ask students to wear badges with their "job title" on them or anything else that fits your style and your students.
- Experiments can be a great way to get a quiet class involved in discussion, and sometimes once you create a classroom culture where discussions take place, they will continue to take place after the experiment ends.
- Choose a strategy for dealing with the classroom environment: room layout, number of students, whether the class is taught online, etc.
- For very large classes it might be necessary to have students work in groups, or to have students take turns carrying out the experiment while others in the class observe.
- Classrooms with tables may be more practical for experiments than those with small desks attached to the student's chair. Consider requesting a classroom that makes it easy to carry out classroom experiments or borrowing a table if necessary.
- Online classes can take advantage of computer technology to help with classroom experiments. It isn't necessary in a lot of cases for all students to make decisions at the same time or for all parts of the experiment to take place on the same day.


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Simply fill the Emergency Medical Services Report Request 2013 (PDF). All HIPAA laws will be enforced. There is no charge associated with this request.
Show All Answers
Garland Fire Department ambulances are staffed with two certified Paramedics. All personnel in the Fire Department are, at a minimum, Certified Emergency Medical Technicians.
No. When you fill out a request it is forwarded to the Custodian of Records. When the request is completed your records can be mailed, faxed or picked up at the fire administration office.


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When I read the latest Roy Edroso dispatch from Wingnuttia, I realize that secession talk on the right might be more than one-week phenomenon -- I could easily imagine it being the central organizing idea of the loony right for the next four years, the way president Obama's alleged socialist/Muslim foreignness was for the last four:
... [Jeff] Goldstein approves the movement to secede from the former United States via online petitions -- "few believe anything will come of it, though I signed all that I could find" -- and claims counter-petitioners who called the neo-Confederates "mentally deficient" and advocated "more education in our state to eradicate their disease" were not just making harmless jokes at the expense of same, but "wish to control us, take our liberties, and force us into a kind of 'progressive,' happy-faced indentured servitude... [they] offer as a solution to the disease of American exceptionalism more leftwing propaganda driven through a union-controlled, heavily leftwing education system."Remember that whether it was true or not, the ten-second explanation of how Obama won in '08 was that young, mostly white hipsters were his most passionate foot soldiers and voters. This year the ten-second version is that those damn brown people showed up at the polls -- oh, and, demographically, they're taking over America, and planning to marry your sister. (OK, I just threw in that last part.) For the right, the first Obama election was about the horror of a non-white commie-lib worming his way into the Oval Office; this election is about non-white commie-libs taking over America. As a result, there's secession talk! Who'd have imagined?
William Teach of Right Wing News also thinks making fun of him and his buddies is fascist: "Progressives (read 'fascists') hate when people other than themselves are accorded First Amendment Rights."
"Given the great divide in the country, I would love to leave the liberals to their leeching ways without a host," fantasizes Freedom Eden. And don't think she hasn't thought it through: "I'd like Wisconsin to secede, but how could we leave Milwaukee and Madison behind? Milwaukee would be easy enough to drop because it's located on the state's eastern border. Madison would be more messy. Maybe we could get the Madison libs to move to Milwaukee..." See, they've learned a few things since Fort Sumter. No more waiting for war to carve out new states -- just quarantine the moochers of the major cities, and you'll have sustainable mini-Valhallas -- just like East Germany and West Berlin! ...
Hispanics, blacks, gays, non-purity-ring-wearing single women -- it's the scariness of the electorate, I think, that's generating the secession talk. It's OK for the former flag-wavers to be disloyal to America by signing these petitions because America doesn't exist anymore, at least not the real America.
So I think we'll hear secession talk at least up to the midterms -- and if the Democratic Party actually figures out how to turn out this diverse base in 2014, the secession shrieks are only going to get louder.


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- You Are Here:
- Home
- Government
- Departments
- Parks & Recreation
- Parks
- Northwest OHV Park
On Saturday, August 11, 2007, the City of Bridgeport, with the help of several local enthusiast groups, began converting 300 acres into an awesome OHV park. Two years later, Northwest Park is the place for fun with your ATVs, motorcycles, Jeeps, Hummers, etc. Our goal is to provide a safe, family fun park.
Hours & Location
Northwest Park is located at 279 George Mitchell Pkwy, Bridgeport, TX 76426 (view directions). The park hours vary depending on time of year. For more information, call (940) 683-3480 Monday through Friday or (940) 683-3685 on weekends at the gatehouse.
All persons entering the park must sign a waiver. Waivers are available at the park gatehouse, or you can print it and bring it with you to save time.
Trails are marked by degree of difficulty. All vehicles are required to remain on designated routes and trails. Whether you are an OHV enthusiast looking for a thrill or a spectator just "getting back to nature," you will enjoy the park. The park includes over 25 miles of trails in various degrees of difficulty. View the Trail Map.
A Texas OHV decal is good through August 31 of the year it was purchased. Many other states require this decal for their OHV users. A decal purchased in Texas is also valid in other states, and other state decals are valid in Texas.
Revenue generated by the sale of the decals will be used as grant monies to help municipalities, counties, state or federal agencies, and nonprofit corporations to create new or improve existing OHV recreation areas in Texas.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) does spot checks from time to time. Failure to comply with the provisions of this law constitutes a class C misdemeanor and could result in the OHV operator being issued a citation. Fines for this offense range from $25 to $500. For more information, visit the Texas OHV Program website.
We sell the decals for $20.00 each.
Trails will be open Saturday, March 2nd & Sunday, March 3rd from 8am to 5pm.
Purchase one pass per vehicle used on the trails.
Please be careful when going through mud and water. Some areas are deeper than they appear.


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Facts about Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein Biography
Thanks to his theory of relativity, Albert Einstein became the most famous scientist of the 20th century.
In 1905, while working in a Swiss patent office, Albert Einstein published a paper proposing a "special theory of relativity," a groundbreaking notion which laid the foundation for much of modern physics theory. (The theory included his famous equation E=mc² — that is, energy is equal to mass times the speed of light squared.)
Einstein's work had a profound impact on everything from quantum theory to nuclear power and the atom bomb. He continued to develop and refine his early ideas, and in 1915 published what is known as his general theory of relativity. By 1920 Einstein was internationally renowned; he won the Nobel Prize in 1921, not for relativity but for his 1905 work on the photoelectric effect.
In 1933 Einstein moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where he worked at the Institute for Advanced Studies until the end of his life. Einstein's genius is often compared with that of Sir Isaac Newton; in 2000 Time magazine named Einstein the leading figure of the 20th century.
Extra credit
Albert Einstein was famously rumpled and frizzy-haired, and over time his image has become synonymous with absent-minded genius… He sent a famous letter to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939, warning that Germany was developing an atomic bomb and urging Allied research toward the same goal… Albert Einstein married Mileva Maric in 1903. They had two sons: Hans Albert (b. 1904) and Eduard (b. 1910). They also had a daughter born before their marriage, Leiserl (b. 1902). She apparently was given for adoption or died in infancy. Mileva and Albert were divorced in 1914… He married his cousin Elsa Löwenthal in 1919, and they remained married until her death in 1936… The Institute for Advanced Studies has no formal link to Princeton University; however, according the IAS website, the two institutions "have many historic ties and ongoing relationships"… The Albert Einstein College of Medicine opened in New York City in 1955. It is part of Yeshiva University. Albert Einstein did not create the school, but gave his permission to have his name used.


text: (Apologies for cross posting.) --------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS 29th International Conference on Logic Programming (ICLP 2013) Istanbul, Turkey, August 24-29, 2013 http://www.iclp2013.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- ICLP 2013, the 29th International Conference on Logic Programming, will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, August 24-29, 2013. Workshops collocated with an international conference are one of the best venues for the presentation and discussion of preliminary work, novel ideas, and new open problems to a wide and interested audience. Collocated workshops also provide an opportunity for presenting specialised topics and opportunities for intensive discussions and project collaboration. The topics of the workshops collocated with ICLP 2013 may cover any area related to logic programming (e.g., theory, systems, environments, software-engineering aspects, extensions, alternative paradigms, applications), including cross- disciplinary areas. However, any workshop proposal will be taken under consideration. The format of the workshop will be decided by the workshop organisers, but ample time should be allowed for general discussions. Workshops can vary in length, but the optimal format are half-day workshops and full-day workshops. Workshop Proposal: ================== People interested in organising a workshop at ICLP 2013 are invited to submit a workshop proposal. Proposals should be written in English and about two pages in length. They should contain: * the title of the workshop; * a brief technical description of the topics covered by the workshop; * a discussion of the timeline and relevance of the workshop; * a list of some related workshops held in recent years; * the (preliminary) required number of half-days allotted to the workshop and an estimate of the number of expected attendees; * the names, affiliations, and contact details (email, web page, phone, fax) of the workshop organiser(s) together with a designated contact person; and * the previous experience of the workshop organising committee in workshop or conference organisation. Proposals should be in PDF format and submitted to the Workshop Chair (Hans Tompits) by email by March 11, 2013. Reviewing Process: ================== Each submitted proposal will be reviewed by the Workshop Chair and the Conference Program Chairs. Proposals that appear well-organised and that fit the goals and the scope of ICLP will be selected. The Chairs will notify the responsible organisers of their decision via email by April 4, 2013. The final length of each workshop will be planned according to the number of submissions each workshop receives. For each accepted workshop, the ICLP local organisers will prepare a meeting place and arrange the distribution of the workshop proceedings, which must be prepared by the workshop organisers. The workshop registration fees will be handled together with the conference fees. Workshop Organisers' Tasks: =========================== * Producing a "Call for Papers" for the workshop and posting it on the Internet and other means. A Web page URL which will be linked into the ICLP 2013 home page must be provided by April 29, 2013. * Providing a brief description of the workshop for the conference program. * Reviewing and deciding upon submitted papers. * Scheduling workshop activities in collaboration with the local organisers and the Workshop Chair. * Sending the workshop program and the workshop proceedings in pdf format to the Workshop Chair for distribution at the conference. * The use of the Computing Research Repository (CoRR) for the workshop proceedings is strongly recommended. Location: ========= All workshops will take place in the city of Istanbul at the site of the main conference. See the ICLP 2013 Web site for location details. Important Dates: ================ March 11, 2013: Proposal submission deadline April 4, 2013: Notification April 29, 2013: Deadline for receipt of CFP and workshop Web page URL July 19, 2013: Deadline for proceedings and workshop program August 24 and 25, 2013: ICLP 2013 workshops Workshop Chair: =============== Hans Tompits Knowledge-Based Systems Group E184/3 Institute of Information Systems Vienna University of Technology Favoritenstrasse 9-11 A-1040 Vienna Austria Email: tompits [at] kr [dot] tuwien [dot] ac [dot] at


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King Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- 2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated, reduced-fat crescent rolls
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons 2% milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Red, blue, yellow and green food coloring
Unroll both tubes of crescent dough and separate into triangles. Place triangles on a greased 12-inch pizza pan, forming a ring with pointed ends facing toward the center and wide ends overlapping. Lightly press wide ends together.
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth; spoon over wide ends of ring. In another bowl, stir the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon until crumbly. Sprinkle over cream mixture.
Fold points over filling and fold wide ends over points. Bake at 350 degrees for 20–25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Divide icing among three bowls. Using red and blue food coloring, tint one portion purple. Tint another portion yellow and the remaining portion green. Drizzle over cake. Serve warm.


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In order to maintain awareness of sex offenders living in your neighborhood, the St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office has added a Sex Offender Registry to their Web site. The registry will allow you to enter any local address. It will then provide a list of all registered St. Lawrence County sex offenders living within a one-mile radius within the boundaries of St. Lawrence County. If you are looking for information about a particular sex offender, registered in St. Lawrence County, the registry can help there as well.
We encourage you to take advantage of the free e-mail notification. When a sex offender registers with the St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office you will be alerted if the offender's address is:
1. In St. Lawrence County, and
2. Within one mile of the address you have entered on your subscription.
To learn more about this free community program, please go to the St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office Web site.
The St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office maintains a Sex Offender Registry as a public service tool. Individuals listed on this registry have been convicted of a sexual offense that requires them to meet a number of mandates including annual registration with law enforcement. This registry is designed to increase community safety and awareness.
This information is meant to educate you about offenders in St. Lawrence County. It has not been made available for you to take action against any individual. Any action against an offender, which is determined to be a violation of law, will subject the violator to arrest and prosecution. Please report all information on offenders directly to our office.
If you have any questions about this registry, please call: 315-379-2222 or e-mail email@example.com.
New York State Sex Offender Registry
The New York State Sex Offender Registry contains information regarding sex offenders residing in New York State. A sex offender is classified into one of three different levels depending on the risk of a repeat offense and the risk to public safety. Clarkson University complies with federal and state law concerning the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA). The University also reserves the right to take immediate action, to include the right to suspend or dismiss any person from the University who represents a risk to the health, safety or welfare of the community, or to any person or property. Registry information can be accessed in several ways.
Sex Offender Registry Information Line:
The New York State Sex Offender Registration Act requires the establishment of a telephone number, which employers, parents, children's groups and the general public can call to determine whether an individual is a convicted sex offender who is required to register.
Caller requirement:
To request information you must be at least 18 years old and must provide your name, address and telephone number.
There is no fee for this call.
Necessary information:
To learn the status of an individual, a caller must have the individual's name and at least one of the following identifiers: the individual's street address and apartment number, driver's license number, social security number, or birth date.
What information will be provided by the 800-number staff:
Sex Offender Registry hotline staff will search the database to determine whether an individual is listed in the Registry. For offenders who committed an act prior to enactment of the law (January 21, 1996) and had a risk level assigned prior to January 1, 2000, callers will be told only that the offender has registered but that no other information can be provided at this time due to a Federal court injunction. If an offender's name is listed on the Registry and the offender committed an offense on or after January 21, 1996 or the risk level was assigned after January 1, 2000, the caller will be told the level of risk of re-offense by the offender in question.
Internet Information
Information regarding high risk sex offenders (Level 3) may be accessed through the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Web site.
Local Police Department
Local police agencies receive periodically updated copies of the Subdirectory of High-Risk (Level 3) Sex Offenders, which lists all Level 3 offenders in New York State. The Subdirectory is made available for your local police agency for further information. In the Town of Potsdam, the town in which Clarkson University is located, one should contact the Potsdam Police Department at 315-265-2121.


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INTERNET ACCESS AT HOME PROPORTION OF AUSTRALIAN HOUSEHOLDS THAT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET(a) (a) From 1998 to 2003, data are at the point in time when surveys were conducted. Data are not available for 2004. For 2004-05, the reference period is from August 2004 to June 2005, and for 2005-06, the reference period is from July 2005 to June 2006. The data for 2006-07 were collected over a ten month period (July 2006 and October 2006-June 2007). (b) Statistical divisions that contain more than just the urban centre and represent the city in the wider sense. Source: Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2006-07 (cat. no. 8146.0). DIAL–UP AND BROADBAND In just two years, the rate of Broadband Internet connections increased from 16% of Australian households in 2004-05 to 43% in 2006-07, becoming more prevalent than dial-up connections (20% of households in 2006-07) for the first time. Broadband now accounts for between one-half and two-thirds of all Internet connections at home across almost all demographic groups and geographic areas. The increased reliability, faster speed and greater capacity to perform tasks compared to dial-up connections are likely to be among the major reasons for the big increase in the take up of Broadband connections. 1 A reduction in the cost of broadband services over time is also likely to be a factor associated with the greater take up of Broadband in recent years. PROPORTION OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH DIAL-UP OR BROADBAND INTERNET CONNECTION Source: Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2006-07 (cat. no. 8146.0). GEOGRAPHY Internet access is important to people living in remote areas as it provides increased access to services, resources and information that are physically located far from home. The Internet, and in particular Broadband Internet connections, allows farming households to operate more efficiently as home-based businesses. 1 The proportion of households with access to the Internet in both Metropolitan and non-Metropolitan areas has followed a similar upward trend over the last decade. The non-Metropolitan household Internet access rate (57%) remained lower than that in Metropolitan areas (67%) in 2006-07. According to the 2006 Census, rates of household Internet access and Broadband connection decreased with increasing remoteness, with Major Cities having higher rates of Internet access (66%) and Broadband connection (45%), and Very Remote areas lower rates (42% and 24%). To some extent the lower rates of access in remote areas are associated with socioeconomic factors including lower levels of educational attainment and income. 2 In an effort to improve speed, access rates and reliability of the Internet across Australia, particularly in regional and remote areas, the Australian Government has committed to provide funding and necessary regulatory changes to facilitate the roll-out of a new open access, high-speed, fibre-based broadband network intended to reach 98% of Australian homes and businesses. 3 HOUSEHOLD INTERNET ACCESS BY REMOTENESS AREAS — 2006 Source: ABS 2006 Census of Population and Housing. WHO USES THE INTERNET? Internet use refers to the use of the Internet in the home for any purpose. Between 2004-05 and 2006-07 the rate of household Internet use increased across all age groups. The increase in use of the Internet was greatest for people aged 65-74 years, where 40% more people were using the Internet at home in 2006-07 (28%) compared with 2004-05 (20%). Despite this growth, people aged 55 years and over continued to use the Internet at home less than those in younger age groups. The lower rate of household Internet use among older people may be related to limited opportunities for introduction to new technologies (for example opportunities afforded in schools and workplaces), a perception that the Internet is not relevant to them, and physical constraints such as arthritis and sight restrictions. 4 INTERNET USE AT HOME BY AGE Source: ABS Household Use of Information Technology Survey, 2004-05 and 2006-07. PURPOSE OF INTERNET USE While people use the Internet at home for a variety of purposes, personal and private reasons (including sending and receiving emails and online shopping) were the most common in 2006-07. Almost all (98%) of the 9.9 million Australians who used the Internet at home reported using it for this purpose. Just over half (53%) used the Internet for education or study and a similar proportion (52%) used it for work related purposes. In 2006-07, 61% of the 11.3 million people who used the Internet at any site reported using it in the past 12 months to buy goods or services for private use. Among all age groups, people aged 25-34 years were the most likely to have used the Internet for this purpose (71%), compared with 34% of young people aged 15-17 years and 42% of people aged 65 years and over. PURPOSE OF INTERNET USE AT HOME - 2006-07
WHO HAS ACCESS? According to regression analysis of 2006 Census data, factors influencing Internet access include age, family composition, educational attainment and income. 5 Internet access and use by age Internet access is the availability of lines, points, ports and modems to subscribers to access the Internet at home. Access differs from Internet use as, although a person may have access to the Internet at home, they may not have used it there. Household Internet access is not a good indicator of Internet use for all age groups. While people aged 15-34 years had access to and used the Internet at similar rates, from 35 years the rates diverged with age. While Internet access rates for those aged 35-44 and 45-54 years were high (80% and 79% respectively), rates of Internet use in the 12 months prior to the survey were lower (73% and 67%). This gap continued to widen with older age groups. For example, while 22% of people aged 75 years and over had access to the Internet in their home, only 11% reported using the Internet. The high access and lower usage rates for people aged 35-54 years may be related to the presence of children in the household. Parents may acquire Internet access for educational and entertainment purposes for their children, but may not use it themselves. 4 INTERNET ACCESS AND USE AT HOME BY AGE - 2006-07
Family composition Couple families with dependent children were more likely to have Internet access at home (86%) than any other family type, regardless of the age of the reference person (the person who filled out the census form for the household). One parent families with non-dependent children had the lowest rate of household Internet access of all family types (54%). Younger one–parent families with dependent children (where the reference person was aged 34 years and under) had particularly low access rates, especially when compared with young couple families with dependent children (51% and 77% respectively). This difference was also apparent between young couple and one parent families with non-dependent children (71% and 52%). Overall, families in which the reference person was aged 55 years and over had lower rates of household Internet access than those where the reference person was younger. Around half of couple families without children (52%) and one parent families with non-dependent children (49%), and around one-third of other families (34%) in which the reference person was aged 55 years and over, had Internet access in the home. INTERNET ACCESS BY FAMILY TYPE - 2006
(b) Other family is defined as a group of related individuals residing in the same household, who cannot be categorised as belonging to a couple or one parent family. Source: ABS 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Educational attainment and income In 2006, people aged 15 years and over, who had higher levels of educational attainment, had higher rates of household Internet access. People with a Bachelor degree or above had the highest rate of household Internet access (88%), whereas those without a non-school qualification had the lowest access rate (63%). Higher levels of income were also associated with higher rates of household Internet access. The highest rate of household access was for people in the highest income quintile (89%), while people in households in the lowest income quintile were least likely to have Internet access (47%). The influence of educational attainment on household Internet access reduces as household income increases. In the bottom two income quintiles, there was a considerable difference in Internet access according to the level of educational attainment. Those with a Bachelor degree or above had higher rates of Internet access than those with lower levels of educational attainment. In households with relatively higher incomes (top three income quintiles), there were high levels of Internet access regardless of educational attainment. For example, in the top income quintile, those with a Bachelor degree or above (92%) had a similar access rate to those who did not have a non-school qualification (85%). INTERNET ACCESS BY HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT BY HOUSEHOLD INCOME, AGED 15 YEARS AND OVER — 2006 Source: ABS 2006 Census of Population and Housing. ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES According to the 2006 Community Housing and Infrastructure Needs Survey, 51% of people living in discrete Indigenous communities had access to the Internet in public locations. Around 36% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had access to the Internet at home, compared with the national average of approximately 67%. Remoteness is a factor influencing rates of household Internet access for Indigenous people, given that most (69%) of the Indigenous population lived outside of Major Cities in 2006. 5 As with the overall population, Internet access rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people decreased with increasing remoteness. While half (50%) of Indigenous people living in Major Cities had Internet access in their homes, this dropped to around 8% of those living in Very Remote areas. INDIGENOUS INTERNET ACCESS BY REMOTENESS AREA - 2006 Source: ABS 2006 Census of Population and Housing. STATES AND TERRITORIES There are differences in the rates of household Internet access and Broadband connection across the states and territories. In 2006, the Australian Capital Territory had the highest proportion of households with access to the Internet (75%) and Broadband connection (53%), while Tasmania had the lowest (55% and 29%). States and territories with similar rates of household Internet access also had comparable rates of Broadband connection in 2006. In New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, around 64% of households had Internet access, while approximately 40% (or around two-thirds of all households with Internet access) had a Broadband connection. In South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory approximately 57% of households had Internet access in 2006, and around 30% (or around half of all households with Internet access) had a Broadband Internet connection. INTERNET ACCESS BY STATE AND TERRITORY - 2006 Source: 2006 Census of Population and Housing. MORE INFORMATION Data sources and definitions Most of the data presented in this article are sourced from the ABS 2006-07 Household Use of Information Technology survey and the 2006 ABS Census of Population and Housing. Internet access is the availability of lines, points, ports and modems to subscribers to access the Internet at the individual's home, unless otherwise stated. Internet use refers to the use of the Internet in the 12 months prior to interview. It includes access via mobile phones, set–top boxes connected to either an analogue or digital television and games machines. A Broadband connection is an 'always on' Internet connection with an access speed equal to or greater than 256 Kilobits per second (Kbps). A dial-up connection to the Internet is via modem and dial-up software using the public switched telecommunication network (PSTN). Other Internet connection includes dial-up and all other forms of Internet connections that are not Broadband connections. Remoteness Area (RA) is a structure of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), covering the whole of Australia. It is intended to classify areas sharing common characteristics of remoteness into broad geographical regions (Remoteness Areas). The remoteness of a point is measured by its physical distance by road to the nearest urban centre. As remoteness is measured nationally, not all Remoteness Areas are represented in each state or territory. There are six RAs in the structure. These are: Major Cities of Australia; Inner Regional Australia; Outer Regional Australia; Remote Australia; Very Remote Australia and Migratory Australia. The Remoteness Area names used in this article are abbreviated versions of these terms, with 'Australia' omitted. For further information see Statistical Geography Volume 1 – Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), 2006 (cat. no. 1216.0). International comparison Although household Internet access rates have continued to increase rapidly in almost all OECD countries, the rate of household Internet access varied considerably among member countries in 2006. In 2006, Korea had the highest proportion of households with a Broadband connection (94%), while Turkey had the lowest (2%). The rate of Broadband connection in Australia (43%) was similar to that of the UK (44%). In terms of broadband connections, Australia ranked 13th of the 30 OECD countries. Different levels of response to the survey in different countries may affect the capacity to make comparisons. For example, Canada and the United Kingdom had response rates as low as 67%, while Australia, New Zealand and Korea had response rates of around 90%. HOUSEHOLDS WITH INTERNET CONNECTIONS, SELECTED OECD COUNTRIES - 2006 (a) Broadband data relate to 2005. Source: Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2006-07 (cat. no. 8146.0) and OECD metadata. Households without Internet access at home According to the 2005-06 Household Use of Information Technology survey, 40% of Australian households did not have access to the Internet. The main reasons Australian households did not have Internet access at home were that the people within the household had no use for the Internet at home (24%), or had a lack of interest in the Internet (23%). Around one-fifth (22%) of households in the bottom two equivalised (that is, adjusted to take account of differing household size and composition) income quintiles stated high cost as the main reason for not having Internet access. Of those living in households that did not have Internet access at home, one–quarter (25%) had used it at another site in the 12 months prior to the survey. The majority of people used it at a neighbour's, friend's or relative's house, or at work (both 14%). Only 4% of those without Internet access at home used it at TAFE or a tertiary institution. MAIN REASON FOR NOT HAVING INTERNET ACCESS AT HOME - 2005-06 (a) Includes insufficient capacity/need to update computer. (b) Includes poor opinion of the Internet and security concerns. Source: Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2005-06 (cat. no. 8146.0). Children's use of the Internet According to the 2006 Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities survey, almost two-thirds (65%) of boys and girls access the Internet. The most common Internet based activities undertaken at home for children aged 5-8 years were playing online games, and school or educational activities (each 62%), followed by accessing the Internet for leisure (38%). Nearly nine in ten (86%) children aged 9-11 years used the Internet at home for school or educational activities, while over half used the Internet to play online games (54%). Accessing the Internet for leisure (44%) and emailing or messaging (42%) were also popular activities for children in this age group. Nine out of ten 12-14 year olds who accessed the Internet used it at home for school or educational activities. Other purposes included emailing or messaging (68%), accessing the Internet for leisure (52%), playing online games (43%) and downloading music from Internet sites (40%). ENDNOTES 1 Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Broadband in regional Australia: Making a difference. 2 Curtin, J 2001, A Digital Divide in Rural and Regional Australia?, Current Issues Brief 1 2001-02, Australian Parliamentary Library, Canberra. 3 Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, National Broadband Network. 4 Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004, Australia Online: How Australians are using computers and the Internet 2001, cat. no. 2056.0, ABS, Canberra. 5 Australian Bureau of Statistics 2007, Patterns of Internet Access in Australia, 2006, cat. no. 8146.0.55.001, ABS, Canberra. Articles in Australian Social Trends are designed to provide an overview of a current social issue. We aim to present an interesting and easy-to-read story, balanced with appropriate statistics. The articles are written as a starting point or summary of the issues, for a wide audience including policy makers, researchers, journalists and people who just want to have a better understanding of a topic. For people who require further information, we aim to provide references to other useful and more detailed sources.


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Lyrics Depot is your source of lyrics to Do My Thing by Lil' Rob. Please check back for more Lil' Rob lyrics.
Do My Thing Lyrics
Artist: Lil' Rob
Album: Crazy Life
This is Lil' Rob
Lil' Rob comin at you with my own style
You wanna know about me look me up in the gang file
And you will see just how I'm living
I didn't choose nothing because the choice wasn't given to
A little vato going a little fuckin loco
Was just out of hand, not poco
Because all these vatos talkin shit about a homey
When they don't even fuckin know me
They said they kicked my ass, they say I got shot
But when I heard that I started laughing on the spot
Cause what the fuck is that all bout
They say I'm dead so I had to put this tape out
To let these levas know they're all about bullshit
And that these vatos got to quit while they're ahead
Before they look stupid
You say you don't talk shit but I know you did
So you put a filero to my neck you fuckin LEVA
What the fuck's next? A cuete to my head did I cry?
I'm not afraid to die and when I do I die with Brown Pride
I got a pussy ass voice so you say
But you listen to it anyway
You say I can't rap but where the fuck are you
Just keep talking shit cause that's what little kids do
So remember this line for the first time
You do your thing holmes, but I'ma do mine
Now fuck that shit up
"Doo Wah Ditty"
Lil' Rob not even puttin' in one hundred percent
But if I did you know that no one could get close
Because I'm the man with the most
Don't brag or boast but I'm a vato from the West Coast
Southern Califa's down for the Brown thing
And San Diego is the name of the city that I was brought up in
But the gang life I was caught up in
Started backin' little levas every weekend
Yeah I know I'm skinny but I ain't down for the tweakin'
Go off smoke marijuana; si mon the Mary Jane
God damn but I don't use God's name in vain
So I take that back ese con respecto
Cause I got respect, something you'll never get though
A little vato now seventeen with a glock
I got my finger on the trigger, not afraid to pull it ese
So don't tempt the man behind the gun
Because this vato might have you on the run
And at the same time cryin, shoot down your legs
but holmes is still tryin to get away
But hell ya gotta pay
Pump the fucker back and let the shotgun spray
Until you lie there dead
Just for talkin shit you got a bullet in your head
So if you persist to go on with the shit talkin
You best keep walking cause this vato's gonna be stalking your ass
Harassing it more than the hura
Or maybe not the hura pero homey keep trucha
Or better yet just don't fuck around ese
Cause I don't like killing off the Brown ese
So remember this line for the second time
You do your thing holmes but I'ma do mine
Lil' Rob Lyrics
Lil' Rob Crazy Life Lyrics
More Lil' Rob Music Lyrics:
Lil' Rob - Brought Up in a Small Neighborhood [West Coast Mix] Lyrics
Lil' Rob - Drinking on My Driveway Lyrics
Lil' Rob - Linda Mujer Lyrics
Lil' Rob - Ooh Baby Baby Lyrics
Lil' Rob - Stop, Look & Listen Lyrics
Lil' Rob - The Other Side Lyrics
Lil' Rob - Those Who Talk [2000 Remix] Lyrics
Lil' Rob - What Am I Saying Lyrics


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University of Alberta-led research reveals that Microraptor, a small flying dinosaur was a complete hunter, able to swoop down and pickup fish as well as its previously known prey of birds and tree dwelling mammals.
U of A paleontology graduate student Scott Persons says new evidence of Microrpator's hunting ability came from fossilized remains in China. "We were very fortunate that this Microraptor was found in volcanic ash and its stomach content of fish was easily identified."
Prior to this, paleontologists believed microraptors which were about the size of a modern day hawk, lived in trees where they preyed exclusively on small birds and mammals about the size of squirrels.
"Now we know that Microraptor operated in varied terrain and had a varied diet," said Persons. "It took advantage of a variety of prey in the wet, forested environment that was China during the early Cretaceous period, 120 million years ago."
Further analysis of the fossil revealed that its teeth were adapted to catching slippery, wiggling prey like fish. Dinosaur researchers have established that most meat eaters had teeth with serrations on both sides which like a steak knife helped the predator saw through meat.
But the Microraptor's teeth are serrated on just one side and its teeth are angled forwards.
"Microraptor seems adapted to impale fish on its teeth. With reduced serrations the prey wouldn't tear itself apart while it struggled," said Persons. "Microraptor could simply raise its head back, the fish would slip off the teeth and be swallowed whole, no fuss no muss."
Persons likens the Microraptor's wing configuration to a bi-plane. "It had long feathers on its forearms, hind legs and tail," said Persons. "It was capable of short, controlled flights."
This is the first evidence of a flying raptor, a member of the Dromaeosaur family of dinosaurs to successfully prey on fish.
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of Alberta. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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out. Things are about to get really bad.
Excerpt from Super Bad:
Looking around the room Sandra asked, "Is this an FVA party? It
seems too far away."
"No. SVA. You didn't even know which school's party you were
crashing?" Disdain dripped from Oceanus's words.
The condescending tone was too much. Hadn't she been nice to Oceanus
when she dropped by unexpectedly? Anger surged inside Sandra. "What does it
even matter? The schools are all balanced now anyway. Thanks to you!"
Lexa's mouth dropped open.
Oceanus clenched her fists. "I told you, I had nothing to do with
Before Sandra could spit back a reply, a boy sidled up to Oceanus,
his eyes scanning the partygoers.
"Hey, babe. Those mozzarella things you made were a huge hit. Can
you make more?" The boy ran his hand down her back and finally dropped his gaze
to Oceanus. "What's wrong?"
He followed her glower and squinted at Sandra. "Do I know you?"
"Aaaahhh!" Sandra yelled. "You arrogant jerk."
She spun toward Lexa, who was all but drooling over the boy. "Let's
"What?" Lexa exclaimed.
The boy frowned. "So obviously I'm supposed to know you."
"Set, it's Sandra. Polar's sister," Oceanus grumbled.
"Ah, right. You cut your hair,"
he said.
"Yeah, one does that after it's burned off!" Sandra
tugged on Lexa's arm. "We can't stay here."
SUPER BAD The unexpected conclusion to the
Super Villain Academy series.
The world is in chaos. Violence and thievery reign. And with
the supers still balanced, it's only getting worse. Without good versus evil,
the supers care less and less. In order to restore purpose, the world needs its
super heroes and its super villains, but the one who balanced them in the first
place is missing.
Sandra's concern over finding her brother, Jeff, isn't her
only problem. Her pathetic excuse for super powers has left her needing a new
ankle. And though she's still very much committed to her boyfriend, Source,
she's growing unreasonably attracted to Set, the boy who double crossed Jeff by
stealing his girlfriend.
When Sandra is taken and held as bait by kids who want to
unbalance the super world, it becomes the inciting event that changes things
for supers everywhere and forces them to answer the question, "Hero or
Super Bad is scheduled for release in June, but there have been whispers
of it releasing sooner. Don't miss out. Subscribe to Kai's mailing list and be
among the first to know.
King of Bad - Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules. He wears his bad
boy image like a favorite old hoodie; until he learns he has superpowers and is
recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad.
Is Jeff bad enough for SVA?
Polar Opposites - Heroes and villains are balanced.
After Oceanus is kidnapped, Jeff learns the supers are so balanced, they no
longer care to get involved. Ironically Jeff's superpowers are spiraling out of
control. Will they find Oci before he looses it completely, and will they find
her alive?
Win a $10 Amazon gift card or an ecopy of either King
of Bad or Polar Opposites. Plenty of chances to win. Open internationally. Enter
here:a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the author:
When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, "And then everybody died. The end." Now an award winning children's author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for the younger ones, Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website, www.kaistrand.com.